Passenger seat with fabric suspension legrest

• US 6,695,406 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2001
• Issued: 02/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: B/E Aerospace Incorporated (Spirit Realty Capital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: B/E Aerospace Incorporated (Spirit Realty Capital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Plant, Tommy G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GARRETT, ERIKA P
• Application Number:
  US09/760,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20020063449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 297/423.19, 297/423.26, 297/423.34, 297/423.35, 297/423.36, 297/76, 297/84, 297/423.24, 297/452.56, 297/86
• US Class Current: 297/423.26
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/34 into a bed
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/70 Upholstery springs ; Upholstery
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/995 Lower-leg-rests, e.g. calf-rests
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/063 with adjustment systems
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/06395 characterised by the arrangement of electric motors for adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/064 Adjustable inclination or position of seats
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0641 Seats convertible into beds
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0643 Adjustable foot or leg rests

Abstract

A reclinable passenger seat having a seat frame mounting a seat bottom, a seat back extending upwardly from the seat bottom, and a legrest assembly mounted adjacent a forward end of the seat bottom for being selectively extended generally downwardly and outwardly from the seat bottom for supporting the legs of the passenger. The legrest assembly also includes a legrest diaphragm mounted for pivotal movement in relation to the seat bottom and a legrest extension diaphragm telescoped within the legrest diaphragm for being selectively extended and retracted relative to the legrest diaphragm to provide an appropriate length leg support for the passenger. The legrest diaphragm and the legrest extension diaphragm each include respective pairs of spaced-apart rails and a fabric attached under tension to the rails for forming a taut, resilient support for the legs of the passenger.

Claims

1. A reclinable passenger seat having a seat frame mounting a seat bottom, a seat back extending upwardly from the seat bottom, and a legrest assembly mounted adjacent a forward end of the seat bottom for being selectively extended generally downwardly and outwardly from the seat bottom for supporting the legs of the passenger, said legrest assembly comprising:

(a) a legrest diaphragm mounted for pivotal movement in relation to the seat bottom;

(b) a legrest extension diaphragm telescoped within said legrest diaphragm for being selectively extended and retracted relative to said legrest diaphragm to provide an appropriate length leg support for the passenger; and

(c) said legrest diaphragm and said legrest extension diaphragm each including respective pairs of spaced-apart rails and a fabric attached under tension to said rails for forming between the rails a taut, resilient support for the legs of the passenger.

2. A reclinable passenger seat according to claim 1, wherein said fabric comprises a tube, and wherein said rails are positioned within said tube to define a pair of overlaid fabric layers.

3. A reclinable passenger seat according to claim 1, wherein said fabric comprises a tube, and wherein said rails are positioned within said tube to define a pair of overlaid fabric layers, and further wherein said pair of fabric layers of at least the legrest diaphragm are both positioned in closely-spaced apart relation to each other adjacent a top edge of said rails.

4. A reclinable passenger seat according to claim 1, 2 or 3, and including a seat bottom extension assembly for increasing or decreasing the effective length of the seat bottom between the seat back and the leg rest to fit the distance between the buttocks and the back of the knees of the occupant.

5. A reclinable passenger seat according to claim 4, wherein said seat bottom extension assembly comprises a frame for carrying the seat bottom relative to the seat back and for selectively moving the seat bottom relative to the seat back to increase or decrease the length of support provided to the legs of the passenger.

6. A reclinable passenger seat according to claim 5, wherein said seat bottom extension assembly includes an actuator assembly for moving the seat bottom relative to said seat back.

7. A reclinable passenger seat according to claim 1, wherein the rails of the legrest extension each include an inner rail positioned inside the fabric tube to define the depth of the legrest extension and an outer rail positioned on an outer surface of the fabric tube and aligned in a position against the inner rail, trapping two thicknesses of the fabric tube between the inner rail and outer rail to provide a taut, resilient, double layer fabric structure wherein two opposing layers of the fabric tube lie in closely spaced-apart relation to each other in the plane of an upper edge of the inner rail and the outer rail.

8. In a reclinable passenger seat having a seat frame mounting a seat bottom, a seat back extending upwardly from the seat bottom, and a legrest assembly mounted adjacent a forward end of the seat bottom for being selectively extended generally downwardly and outwardly from the seat bottom for supporting the legs of the passenger, the improvement comprising moving the seat bottom and legrest assembly relative to the seat back for increasing the effective length of support to the buttocks and legs of the passenger as the seat is progressively reclined, and providing a support cushion which extends outwardly from the front end of said seat bottom to a position between said seat bottom and said legrest assembly as the seat is progressively reclined.